Kung Pao White Beans Skillet

If you have never heard of Kung Pao, it’s originally a stir-fry made with marinated chicken, peanuts and chili peppers. This is a healthier and meatless version of this popular Chinese dish. The chicken is replaced with white beans and bell peppers.

There is a lot going on here with the textures, white beans are soft and melt-in-your-mouth while the peanuts add a crunch to every bite and the syrupy sauce adds sweetness.

Pre-vegan I was not consuming a lot of beans, lentils or chickpeas, I was actually eating none to be honest. They are now my favorite ingredients to cook with, beans and pulses are high in protein, very tasty and versatile. My favorite way to use them is in dahls, casseroles or combined with other protein sources and healthy fats like in these enchilada power bowls.

This recipe requires only 30 minutes and everything is done in ONE skillet. Simple preparation for a very flavorful meal.

Peanuts are first fried in a little bit of oil with the onion, garlic and green chilies. Roasting the peanuts increases the crunch factor and adds more flavor. Bell peppers are then added to the skillet and cooked until soft. In the meantime you can prepare the Kung Pao sauce.

The sauce is a magical blend of soy sauce, coconut sugar, white wine, vinegar, sesame oil and cornstarch that helps make it thicker and syrupy. Toasted sesame oil is not usually used as a cooking oil, but more as a flavoring since it has a very strong aroma. There are different types of sesame oil, make sure you use the toasted kind.

Once the vegetables are soft, you can add the kung pao sauce and the white beans and stir to make sure everything is well coated. It’s that simple.

You can serve these as is, or with a side of brown rice. In addition to being incredibly tasty, each serving is packed with 16g of protein!